Former regional AFN chief Jody Wilson-Raybould gets Justice

Justin Trudeau promised a cabinet that would strike a balance between rookie and seasoned politicians but also reflect Canada’s diversity — and a new way of doing politics. Liberal MP for Vancouver Granville Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canada’s first aboriginal woman Justice minister and Attorney General, embodies all of that.

An aboriginal governance activist, Wilson-Raybould is the former BC Crown Prosecutor, treaty commissioner and AFN Regional Chief, and was a star Liberal candidate who won a strong victory in the new Vancouver riding, despite a strategic voting campaign that endorsed the local NDP candidate. Wilson-Raybould is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation, and one of eight aboriginal members of the Liberal caucus.

Wilson-Raybould’s appointment as Canada’s attorney general, as well as Trudeau’s campaign promises of investing in rebuilding a new relationship with Canada’s indigenous people, both signal that the Liberal government intends to redefine its relationship with First Nations and aboriginal people. Her appointment is even more significant since Wilson-Raybould was among the First Nations leaders who met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the Idle No More protests two years ago. She told the media later on that the disappointment she felt after the meetings with Harper is one of the reasons why she decided for the Liberals.

As Canada’s new attorney general, Wilson-Raybould inherits one of the most important cabinet portfolios, one held by former PMs Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Jean Chretien in previous Liberal governments. Former Conservative leader Kim Campbell was the first and only woman justice minister.

Given the sheer number of new legislation that Justin Trudeau has promised to introduce as soon as Parliament returns, as well as his commitment to reversing some of the Conservatives’ laws, the new Justice minister should be very busy.

First, Wilson-Raybould is going to have to draft a law prescribing the conditions under which physician-assisted death would be allowed, since the Supreme Court of Canada gave the government only one year to come up with legislation. That deadline expires on February 6, 2016. The Liberal government is said to be considering asking for a six-month extension, though questions remain as to what they would do within that time frame. The Tories had previously appointed a three- person panel, two members of which were said to be advocating against assisted death.

Wilson-Raybould will also have to get going on legalizing marijuana, a Liberal campaign promise but a file that, so far, Canadians haven’t heard many details on. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court decided in favour of allowing the use of medical marijuana in any and all forms, but questions remained as to individuals growing their own cannabis plants. The previous government had decreed that only federally-approved farms can produce medical marijuana, a field that experts say will be seeing a lot of private investments in the future, needing clearly outlined regulations.

The new minister of justice will also have to weigh in on the niqab issue — again. The Harper government, which banned the wearing of the niqab while taking the oath of citizenship back in 2012, lost its appeal of a Federal Court ruling striking down the ban in October and had promised to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

Other key files that Wilson-Raybould will have to deal with soon concern the Liberal promise to set up an inquiry on missing and murdered aboriginal women and the implementation of all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a file on which she has worked as a regional chief of the AFN.

Finally, as the Liberals promised during the campaign, Wilson-Raybould will have to work on amending some of the regulations set by the previous government as part of their “tough on crime” agenda, including mandatory minimum sentences.